Non-destructive assessment of chicken egg fertility using hyperspectral imaging

这项研究旨在将先前对白壳鸡蛋的研究扩展到高光谱成像检测褐壳鸡蛋的受精率和孵化率。这是新知识商业化的关键一步。及早发现不育和不能孵化的鸡蛋将有利于孵化场和家禽养殖场，因为它节省了空间，处理成本，并防止了爆炸鸡蛋的污染。开发一种高效、无损、准确的检测白壳和褐壳鸡蛋的仪器，用于识别不育鸡蛋和区分活的和早期死亡的胚胎，每年可以为该行业节省数百万美元，对孵化行业将是有利的。我们在麦吉尔大学的实验室最近的研究表明，HSI作为一种非破坏性方法应用于评估白壳鸡蛋的孵化率、胚胎发育和死亡率具有很高的潜力。新开发的方法的成功需要在棕壳鸡蛋上进行测试，以便工业化实施。这项拟议的研究旨在探索开发一种统一的光谱成像系统来检测白色和棕壳鸡蛋的受精率和孵化率的可能性。这项研究产生的科学知识将解决该行业对开发自动检测受精率和孵化率的实用新方法的兴趣。该项目中开发的方法将允许实施具有成本效益和技术先进的鸡蛋检测系统，这将促进加拿大成为家禽生产的世界领先者。

This study is designed to extend previous research on white shell eggs to hyperspectral imaging detection of fertility and hatchability of brown shell chicken eggs. This is a crucial step to commercialization of the new knowledge. Early detection of infertile and non-hatchable eggs would benefit hatcheries and poultry breeding farms by saving space, handling costs, and preventing contamination from exploder eggs. Development of an efficient, non-destructive and accurate apparatus used on plurality of white and brown shell eggs for identification of infertile egg and discrimination between live and early dead embryos can save the industry millions of dollars each year and would be advantageous to the hatchery industry. Recent research in our laboratory at McGill University showed high potential for application of HSI as a non-destructive method for assessing hatchability, embryo development and mortality in white-shell eggs. The success of the new developed approach needs to be tested on brown-shell eggs for the industrial implementation. The proposed study aims to investigate the potential of developing a unified spectral imaging system to detect fertility and hatchability of white and brown-shell eggs. The scientific knowledge generated in this study will address the interest of the industry in developing practical new approaches of automating detection of fertility and hatchability. The developed approaches in this project will allow for implementation of cost-effective and technologically advanced egg inspection systems that will promote Canada as the world leader in poultry production.